The Warden by Anthony Trollope

I have a friend who has been recommending Trollope’s Barsetshire Chroinicles to me for years yet somehow I never got to this book. Now that I have read it, I see why it was suggested to me and I very much enjoyed it.

There are many characters in this shortish title. They include:

Septimus Harding-The Warden

Susan and Eleanor-The Warden’s daughters

Archdeacon Grantly and John Bold-The former is Susan’s husband and the latter is in love with Eleanor. Grantly is a bit pompous. John Bold is a reformer.

Sir Abraham Haphazard-a lawyer

Tom Towers-a journalist

The books are set in what is thought to be England’s southwest. The location is one that includes Hiram’s Hospital. This is actually not a hospital but an almshouse for twelve men. The plot has to do with the finances of this hospital and whether or not The Warden is receiving more income than is rightfully his. Eleanor’s beau feels that the pensioners are being cheated while Grantly feels that the church is entitled to these profits.

Along with this plot readers can enjoy the relationship between Eleanor and Bold. What will happen when Eleanor is in the middle between her father and her beau?

One thing that struck me when reading this title was the ways in which it related to current issues. These include fiscal responsibility, an individual’s moral compass, freedom of the press and more.

The story is told with some humor, caricature, and a wonderful depiction of its time and place.

I will continue this series happily. Please don’t disregard this book because it is a classic.